Don’t be mesmerised by cool apps and flashy new gizmos – the top technology inventions of the year are ones that will have a lasting effect.

Most are advances in fields that are already changing us. Some will have immediate impact; others are portents of transformations that may take decades to complete. In this vein, and in no particular order, here are what I consider to be ten of the best technological innovations from 2014.

1. DNA nanobots injected into cockroaches

Nanotechnology is a growing research field that manipulates materials on a molecular scale. One prospect is to transform medicine by injecting nanobots into the body where they perform functions such as treating disease.

RoboRoach #12 and its brethren are billed as a do-it-yourself neuroscience experiment that allows students to create their own “cyborg” insects. The roach was the main feature of the TEDx talk by Greg Gage and Tim Marzullo, co-founders of an educational company called Backyard Brains. After a summer Kickstarter campaign raised enough money to let them hone their insect creation, the pair used the Detroit presentation to show it off and announce that starting in November, the company will, for $99, begin shipping live cockroaches across the nation, accompanied by a microelectronic hardware and surgical kits geared toward students as young as 10 years old.

That news, however, hasn’t been greeted warmly by everyone. Gage and Marzullo, both trained as neuroscientists and engineers, say that the purpose of the project is to spur a “neuro-revolution” by inspiring more kids to join the fields when they grow up, but some critics say the project is sending the wrong message.

Thirty-two year old Floridian Edward Archbold died in the parking lot of a pet store this past Friday after consuming dozens of roaches in a contest to win a free python. The “Eat Bugs for Balls” contest offered the snake as a prize for the person who could consume the most discoid roaches in four minutes. Archbold is reported to have stated he didn’t feel well before regurgitating the roaches he had consumed. He collapsed moments later. The investigation is currently ongoing. Discoid roaches, also known as “False Death’s Head” roaches, are popular feeder animals for tarantulas and reptiles like bearded dragons. They can reach lengths of three inches.

If you’re still reading this (and still have the stomach for it) you can read more at The Smoking Gun.